The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Smart car technologies such as free-ranging on grid navigation, as well as parking guidance and information systems, aid in the prevention of human error when drivers operate a vehicle. Such technologies have been used to improve navigation of roadways, and to augment the parking abilities of motor vehicle drivers while the drivers are present within the motor vehicle. For example, rear view camera systems and impact alert systems have been developed to assist the operator of the motor vehicle while parking to avoid collisions. In addition, autonomous parking systems have been developed that autonomously park the motor vehicle in a parallel parking spot once the operator of the motor vehicle has positioned the motor vehicle in a predefined location proximate the parking spot.
While these systems are useful for their intended purpose, they require that the operator of the motor vehicle locate the parking spot and drive to the parking spot. Moreover, none are able to determine which type of parking maneuver is appropriate for a given parking spot, for example, tail-in, head-in, or parallel parking. Thus, there is a need in the art for improved smart car technologies that utilize preexisting infrastructure to autonomously park a motor vehicle in any type of parking spot. Moreover, there is a need to implement automatic parking systems in motor vehicles that do not increase cost, and which also increase the accuracy and robustness of parking systems while providing additional redundant ease of access and safety features.